(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates to car top carriers. The object of this invention is to provide an improved design of a car top luggage carrier that can readily be converted to a small utility type watercraft.
The primary area of search for this invention is Class 224/42.01 "Package and Article Carriers-Convertible". A second area of search was Class 190/1 "Trunks and Hand Carried Luggage-Convertible". Because of the watercraft nature of this invention, Class 114/352 "Ships-Sectional"; Class 114/353 "Ships-Folding" and Class 114/354 "Ships-Collapsible" were also searched.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The concept of construction of a package or material's carrier that can be converted to a boat is fairly old. One of the earliest, Olmstead, No. 67,342, granted in July, 1867, presented a sectional boat that converted to a trunk. Numerous folding boats have been the subject of invention as Auto Trailers with a combination purpose of carrying camping equipment, luggage, baggage, etc. An early example of this is Gibbs, No. 1,560,983 granted in November, 1925. Reese, No. 1,781,860, an early combination luggage carrier and collapsible boat that was attached to the rear of an auto, was granted in June, 1930. One of the latest improvements of this concept is Johnson, No. 3,684,139, granted August, 1972, which shows a foldable boat also usable as a luggage carrier or a temporary shelter. The improvements or inventions attempting to avail of this concept have evidently not been sufficient to justify commercial development.
Witness the fact that during the vacation season and weekends, there may be tens of thousands of car top luggage carriers on the highways and a like number of canoes and small boats being car topped but no combination or convertible versions of these two visible.
The subject invention is readily distinguishable from Class 114/353 "Ships-Folding" in that there is no "folding" aspect to this invention. Instead, the top portion of the subject invention substantially encases the lower portion, whereas the "folding boats" generally utilized the gunnales of the respective parts as matching parts that use either gaskets or flanges to seal out the weather and dust.
The subject invention can be readily distinguished from Class 114/354 "Ships-Collapsible" in that there is nothing of a collapsible nature in its construction. Conceptually, there are similarities to prior art found in Class 114/352 "Ships-Sectional" which included in excess of 70 prior patents, however, none of these contained the feature of substantial encapsulation or encasement of the carrier or stern section of the watercraft mode of the invention by the bow or cover section, thus our primary area of prior art to be distinguished is Class 224/42.01 "Package and Article Carriers-Convertible" with additional consideration required for Class 190/1 "Trunks and Hand Carried Luggage-Convertible". The following patents should be specifically distinguished. They are not considered as prior art that anticipates the subject invention.
(i) Sweetman--No. 2,659,464 granted Nov. 17, 1953 can readily be distinguished from the subject invention in that this was merely a canoe cut in half with flanged gunnales that coincided. In the best mode, the parts were fastened together by a semi-hinged arrangement and latches. In the luggage carrier mode, it was supported on the car by built-in feet and straps, all of which is readily distinguishable from the subject invention in detail and configuration. Sweetman clearly does not anticipate the subject invention.
(ii) Johnson--No. 3,684,139 granted Aug. 15, 1972 is a hinged box like luggage carrier with the gunnales of the respective parts coinciding when the structure is used as a luggage carrier. When used as a boat, the two respective parts are attached by hinges and pins. The subject invention is not anticipated by Johnson and bears no resemblance to it.
(iii) Wray--No. 3,685,061 granted Aug. 22, 1972 consists merely of an inverted boat attached on top of an automobile by various devices which can also be used as a camper. The base is utilized for a bed and sleeping compartment with the boat section as a roof. No anticipation of utilization of the base and the top as component parts of a boat is anticipated. Wray can be readily distinguished from the subject invention in detail, configuration, design and function.
(iv) Swenson--No. 2,684,796 granted July 27, 1954 consists of a rack-type base for the luggage carrier, not utilized as any part of the boat, all of which is covered by an inflatable innertube or hollow metal type boat which is round in appearance and bears no resemblance to the subject invention and clearly does not anticipate the subject invention.
(v) Tope--No. 3,301,449 again consists merely of an inverted boat that fits over top of a base utilized as a car top luggage carrier. No part of the base is utilized as a sectional boat, nor are there any observable common features between Tope and the subject invention. Tope clearly does not anticipate the subject invention.
(vi) Thomas--No. 1,345,416 granted July 6, 1920, is an early vintage patent that includes the concept of a sectional boat and a trunk. No anticipation of car topping by this patent is noted. It is a four section boat held together by various and sundry hinges and latches and is no way similar to the subject invention.
(vii) Olmstead--No. 67,342 granted in July of 1867, was a three sectional boat that could be converted to a trunk. It was attached together by hinges and pins, is totally different in appearance to the subject invention and does not appear to include any common details or functional qualities similar to the subject invention and therefore clearly does not anticipate the subject invention.
(viii) Reese--No. 1,781,860 granted Nov. 18, 1930 was a combination luggage carrier and collapsible boat that attached to the rear of an automobile. It consisted of three sections joined together by pins and hooks in a boat combination and includes no common details with the subject invention. In appearance and function it is substantially dissimilar and clearly does not anticipate the subject invention.
(ix) Edwards--No. 3,357,031 is a camping and boat outfit that attaches to the top of an automobile with the lid converting to a table. The boat part of the structure is utilized as the floor of a tent. Edwards does not anticipate a sectional boat convertible to a luggage carrier but merely utilizes the boat to carry the other functional component parts.